Driving Notes

2015 Ford Expedition XL Large SUV

The 2015 Expedition ups the ante in the large SUV segment.

To minimize potential lumbering-truck handling with its 2015 Expedition, Ford has added an optional front suspension feature to its largest SUV that allows drivers to select between sport, normal, and comfort modes.

The feature, known as continuously controlled damping suspension, will be familiar to Lincoln drivers. It's an impressive feature that's not the only one that comes over from the Lincoln Navigator. The 2015 Expedition also gets the 3.5L twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 to improve fuel economy. Back to the engine in a moment.

I drove the 2015 Expedition XL King Ranch (with the extended wheelbase) along a more than 60-mile stretch of rural highways of West Virginia that provided an excellent testing ground for the new suspension feature. I switched it into sport mode to improve handling around the twisty mountainous roads, then pushed it back to comfort mode for the straightaways to smooth out the ride for third-row passengers.

Photo by Paul Clinton.

The Expedition still isn't a sporty sedan, but the new suspension really improves the driving experience and increases the fun factor.

Adding the EcoBoost should improve the fuel economy by 15 percent over the 2014 model, which provided 14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway, when driven in rear-wheel mode, according to Ford reps.

Ford is adding the Platinum trim level for the 2015 model year that includes 22-inch wheels, a leather-lined interior, as well as a redesigned instrument cluster, steering wheel, and center console.